Mzuzu

Mzuzu
Mzuzu
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is located in Malawi
Mzuzu
Mzuzu
Location in Malawi
Coordinates: 11°27′29″S 34°00′54″E / 11.45807°S 34.015131°E / -11.45807; 34.015131
Country Malawi
RegionNorthern Region
Population
 (2018 Census)
 • Total
221,272
Time zone+2
ClimateCwb

Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city by population in Malawi. The city has 221,272 residents and 20,000 commuters (Mzuzu University students) with about a million people in its metropolitan area. It is in the Mzimba District. Mzuzu lies in a gap in the Viphya Mountains, and the agricultural region surrounding the city specializes in tea, rubber and coffee cultivation. The Viphya Plantation south of the city is the largest man-made forest in Africa, and the Lunyangwa and Kaning'ina forest preserves are east of the city.

Sites in the city include Chibavi, Luwinga, Area 1B, Chibanja, Katoto, Zolozolo, Masasa, Mchenga-utuba, Chimaliro, Kaning'ina and Katawa.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
197716,108—    
198751,904+12.41%
199886,980+4.81%
2008133,968+4.41%
2018221,272+5.15%
source:

Ethnic groups

Ethnic Groups in Mzuzu City (2018 Census)
Ethnic Groups percent
Tumbuka
 
 51.71%
Chewa
 
 13.51%
Ngoni
 
 8.09%
Tonga
 
 7.36%
Nkhonde
 
 4.08%
Lambya
 
 3.75%
Yao
 
 3.59%
Lomwe
 
 3.54%
Sukwa
 
 1.07%
Sena
 
 0.66%
Mang'anja
 
 0.38%
Nyanja
 
 0.28%
Other
 
 2%

According to the 2018 census, the Tumbuka people are the largest ethnic group in the city, composing 80.50% of the population. Additional ethnic groups constitute 19.50% of the population.[citation needed]

Religion

Religions in Mzuzu City (2018 Census)
  1. Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (28.0%)
  2. Catholic (17.3%)
  3. Seventh-day Adventist/Baptist/Apostolic (16.3%)
  4. Pentecostal (6.62%)
  5. Anglican (1.58%)
  6. Other Christian (22.2%)
  7. Muslim (4.06%)
  8. Traditional (0.10%)
  9. Other (3.59%)
  10. No Religion (0.28%)

The largest religious denomination in Mzuzu is the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (28.01%). The second largest is Catholicism (17.28%). Other minor religions include Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, and Apostolic (16.27% combined), Pentecostal (6.62%), Anglican (1.58%), other Christian denominations (22.21%), Islam (4.06%), Traditional (0.1%), other religions (3.59%), and no religion (0.28%) of the city.

Culture

Mzuzu has a museum, opened in 1986, showcasing artifacts from various cultures in the northern region.

Health

Mzuzu City is home to the Mzuzu Central Hospital, one of four hospitals in the country.[citation needed]

Climate

The climate is a subtropical highland climate (Cwb), with ample rainfall throughout the year as well as cool and pleasant temperatures.

Climate data for Mzuzu (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.5
(77.9)		 25.6
(78.1)		 24.8
(76.6)		 23.5
(74.3)		 22.1
(71.8)		 20.4
(68.7)		 20.3
(68.5)		 21.9
(71.4)		 25.1
(77.2)		 27.2
(81.0)		 27.2
(81.0)		 26.1
(79.0)		 24.1
(75.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 19.9
(67.8)		 20.0
(68.0)		 19.5
(67.1)		 18.7
(65.7)		 16.4
(61.5)		 13.9
(57.0)		 13.1
(55.6)		 14.0
(57.2)		 16.7
(62.1)		 19.4
(66.9)		 20.5
(68.9)		 20.1
(68.2)		 17.7
(63.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 16.1
(61.0)		 16.5
(61.7)		 16.0
(60.8)		 14.9
(58.8)		 11.6
(52.9)		 7.9
(46.2)		 6.5
(43.7)		 6.6
(43.9)		 8.7
(47.7)		 11.7
(53.1)		 14.2
(57.6)		 15.9
(60.6)		 12.2
(54.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 203.3
(8.00)		 179.5
(7.07)		 224.1
(8.82)		 213.0
(8.39)		 58.8
(2.31)		 29.5
(1.16)		 30.1
(1.19)		 11.8
(0.46)		 10.4
(0.41)		 35.4
(1.39)		 95.7
(3.77)		 197.0
(7.76)		 1,288.6
(50.73)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.3 mm) 20 18 20 19 9 6 6 3 2 3 9 18 133
Average relative humidity (%) 82 82 85 86 85 84 83 77 67 62 70 80 79
Mean monthly sunshine hours 145.7 137.2 164.3 171.0 217.0 219.0 238.7 275.9 288.0 300.7 252.0 176.7 2,586.2
Mean daily sunshine hours 4.7 4.9 5.3 5.7 7.0 7.3 7.7 8.9 9.6 9.7 8.4 5.7 7.1
Source: NOAA

Economy and infrastructure

Agricultural products include coffee, timber, fruit, milk and honey. It is the site of Mzuzu University. A 2022 case study on Mzuzu funded by the European Union outlined areas of strength and possibilities for economic growth.

Education

The city is home to Mzuzu University and Mzuzu Academy.

Tourism

Lake Malawi, Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, and Nyika National Park—Malawi's largest national park—are all located near Mzuzu.

Transport

The M5 highway in Mzuzu

Mzuzu City is served by the Mzuzu Airport. In June 2015, Malawi Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced plans to develop a new airport, but a 2022 update suggested that building has not yet begun.

Sports

There are two football teams, Moyale Barracks FC and Mzuni represent the city in the Malawi's top-flight league. Mzuzu Stadium (maximum 15,000 capacity) is the city's sole stadium, built around 1970 by prison labor.[citation needed]

Notable residents

References

  1. ↑ [permanent dead link]
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Municipal in Malawi, Malawi Municipal, Mzuzu City Assembly welcome, Commonwealth". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  3. ↑ Thomas. "Malawi". africaguide.com. Retrieved 18 November 2006.
  4. ↑ "Malawi: Fragile Forests". Travel Africa Magazine (17). August 2001. Archived from the original on 22 August 2006.
  5. ↑ "Malawi: Regions, Major Cities, Towns & Urban Localities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "2018 Population and Housing Census Main Report" (PDF). Malawi National Statistical Office. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Lusaka, Mwayi (4 January 2023). "Curating the nation: Collections, ethnographic representations and heritage production at Museum of Malawi". Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10. doi:10.1080/23311983.2022.2160577. S2CID 255631526.
  8. ↑ "Mzuzu Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Delbridge, Victoria (19 July 2022). "Enhancing the financial position of cities: evidence from Mzuzu" (PDF). UN-Habitat. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "Mzuzu Technical College". Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "Homepage". mzuzuacademy.org.
  12. ↑ "Mzuzu Orton Chirwa International Airport". CAPA - Centre for Aviation. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  13. ↑ "PSB Network | The Mobile Network That Cares". Mypsb.co.za. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  14. ↑ Manevski, Darko (18 May 2022). "Meet the Woman, 23, Who Runs 3 Schools and Fosters Over 30 Children". Newsweek. Retrieved 27 January 2025.